This Feels Like Falling In Love
by Lexaven
Summary: Lexaven - Lexa and Raven meet in college and against all odds, fall in love. Modern College AU - Aspiring Lawyer Lexa & Aspiring NASA Engineer Raven. Light enemies to lovers. This is a slow burn. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**This Feels Like Falling In Love**

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**Chapter 1 -**** First Meeting**

From the moment she meets her, Lexa dislikes Raven Reyes.

The first time she sees her, Lexa is waiting in line to get coffee before her next class. The line is moving impossibly slow, and Lexa checks her watch repeatedly, worried she's going to be late. She wonders what's taking so long, normally the line goes much faster. She cranes her neck to look around the line and that's when she sees her. A girl with tan skin, brown eyes and wild, chestnut colored hair. She's wearing a red bomber jacket and flirting with one of the baristas. They're both just standing there, smiling and staring at each other as they talk, and Lexa couldn't be more annoyed. Is she seriously going to miss her daily caffeine intake because some girl is trying to get into the barista's pants?

Thankfully, one of the baristas seems to be doing her job, and Lexa sympathizes with the look of irritation that crosses her face as she glares at her coworker. She finally gets to the front of the line with fifteen minutes to spare before her next class. She orders her usual—an unsweetened Americano Misto with almond milk—and the barista smiles and gets to work.

Lexa tries to ignore the pair that has been holding up the line in an attempt to keep her cool, but she can't help but hear them flirting. They're not exactly being quite or discrete. The brunette is trying to get the barista's phone number, but the barista is playing hard to get and really, Lexa's irritation just continues to build.

She doesn't even realize she's been staring until the brunette turns and catches her, giving her a once over and a wink. Lexa blushes and quickly looks away, completely mortified at having been caught, and flustered by the way the brunette was checking her out. She feels her palms start to sweat and is relieved when her coffee is ready, so she can grab it and leave. She makes sure to leave a large tip, and gives the brunette and flirting barista a scowl before she walks away.

The second time she sees Raven Reyes, the feeling of dislike only increases.

She's sitting in her Research Methods class later that day. It's a required class for her Political Science degree, and she's paying close attention as the professor reviews the syllabus. The class is bigger than Lexa had anticipated, the room almost at maximum capacity with only a few seats remaining in the first and second row.

Lexa is sitting in the front row.

She knows she's in the minority. That most students prefer to avoid the first and second rows in a college classroom, but Lexa enjoys them because she's an overachiever who wants to make a good first impression on her professors and it helps her pay attention. She's read in numerous articles that developing positive relationships with professors is a key part of academic success in college. Since Lexa is trying to get into law school, she figures the more networking and academic success she can achieve, the better.

She's following along with the professor's PowerPoint as she goes over the syllabus. She's taking notes and asking questions when appropriate, when suddenly the class is interrupted by the loud sound of the classroom's heavy metal door creaking opening and slamming shut. The professor stops speaking and the whole class turns to look at the intruder and Lexa feels immediately annoyed. It's the chestnut haired girl from the coffee stand. She strolls into the room all cool, casual, and nonplussed. Her too cool for school attitude combined with her bomber jacket, aviator sunglasses perched on the end of her nose, and obnoxious gum chewing really irritate Lexa.

Class has already been in session for nearly twenty minutes, which means that the girl has already missed a third of the class. On top of that, she doesn't seem to have any of the required class materials with her, which really irks Lexa. It's one thing to be late for a class, but to be late and unprepared is like the ultimate academic sin and a clear mark of an entitled student who doesn't care. Lexa got into Stanford by working her ass off to get good grades and scholarships. She didn't have any alumni family members helping her get in. Clearly this girl must be one of those spoiled rich kids who's parents are paying for college, or someone with special connections who doesn't take her academic career seriously.

It's one of Lexa's biggest pet peeves.

The girl saunters into the classroom, scanning the room, although Lexa can't really tell due to the tint of her sunglasses. She lowers her sunglasses, and her eyes lock with Lexa's and Lexa squirms uncomfortably in her seat as the girl wiggles her eyebrows before giving her a cocky smirk. Lexa quickly looks away, feeling her cheeks flush as she intently studies her syllabus.

"It's nice of you to finally join us Miss?"

"The name's Reyes. Raven Reyes." She says, like she's fucking James Bond, and again, Lexa has to stop herself from rolling her eyes at the girl's antics.

"Well, Miss Reyes, it seems like you are quite late, considering class started twenty minutes ago."

"Yeah, sorry about that doc, I kind of got caught up in something important that I needed to finish." She says smugly, clearing her throat, before turning to look Lexa in the eyes and wink. Lexa finds herself blushing again and looking away, feeling irritated by how easily Raven seems to be able to fluster her.

"Well Miss Reyes, if you would be so kind as to find a seat so I can continue going over the syllabus..."

Raven doesn't respond at first, just keeps her eyes locked with the professor while chomping loudly on her gum, and Lexa nearly jumps when she pops a loud bubble that seems to echo through out the whole classroom. She hears a few snickers in the back of the class. Some slackers who are no doubt impressed by the gall Raven has to be so inappropriate—clearly lacking any type of respect in the face of authority, as well as social etiquette and decorum.

"No problem doc." She drawls out, and honestly Lexa can't believe Raven's nerve.

The professor is clearly annoyed too, though Lexa thinks she is doing a pretty good job of keeping her cool considering the circumstances. She turns back to the board, continuing where she left off, as Raven saunters her way across the room at a leisurely pace and unceremoniously plops herself down in the seat beside Lexa. She immediately pulls out her phone and starts typing away, and Lexa takes a deep breath and tries to exhale her irritation so she can focus on the class.

Despite her best efforts, Lexa can't help the way her eyes keep trailing back over to Raven. Raven is distracting—chewing her gum loudly and letting out little noises as she scans and types out messages on her phone. And really, if the girl was better behaved, Lexa might actually think she was kind of pretty.

Raven lifts her head up and catches Lexa staring. Lexa is again mortified at being caught and she quickly turns away to focus her attention back up front. She can feel Raven continuing to stare at her and tries not to blush.

"Hey there, nice to see you again." She hears Raven's smug voice, and tries her best to ignore it, writing something down on her syllabus. "Oh, so you're just gonna ignore me then? Okay. Whatever. Your loss." She says and goes back to typing on her phone.

Once the PowerPoint is done and the professor has answered everyone's questions, they move on to a class activity. Lexa hates class activities. Especially on the first day and especially when they're the icebreaker type. She's not here to make friends, she's here to get a degree. But alas, the professor forces the class to participate in a get to know you type of interview with one of their peers, putting a list of questions on the board for them to ask one another.

Lexa turns to her left but the person beside her is already paired off with someone else, as is the person sitting behind her. Everyone else around her seems to have paired off with someone, and much to Lexa's dismay that leaves Raven as her only option. If Lexa wasn't such a rule follower and over achiever she would seriously consider skipping the activity altogether, but unfortunately for her she is.

So Lexa takes a deep breath, trying to calm her irritation and low-key hatred for the girl before turning to look at her. Raven is still looking at her phone, her sunglasses now tucked in the the front of her shirt and she's laughing at something, completely unaware of the task at hand. Lexa clears her throat, trying to get her attention, but Raven is too wrapped up in her phone to notice. She rolls her eyes, feeling her irritation building again, taking a deep breath before making a second attempt.

"Excuse me, would you like to partner up?" She asks, congratulating herself for managing to sound so nonchalant. It seems to get Raven's attention though, as she puts her phone down on the desk before turning to look at her.

"Oh, so now you want to talk to me?" She snarks, giving Lexa yet another cocky grin. Lexa just narrows her eyes.

"Want is a strong word. More like, I have no other choice. Everyone else is already partnered up." She grits out and Raven just rolls her eyes.

"Oh please, I am an awesome partner and you are lucky to have me." She retorts and Lexa just sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Can we please just get this over with?"

"Oh trust me, once you get to know me, you'll never get over me." Raven smirks.

Lexa swallows down her biting remarks feeling the tension building in her body. By some miracle Raven seems to realize that she's pushed Lexa too far and eases up. And Lexa is grateful for small miracles.

The interview ends up being frustratingly annoying, and Lexa has to hold back her wrath, and finds herself flustered more than a few times as Raven seems to be intent on making her blush. They find out each other's majors during the interview, as well as where they're originally from. Lexa thinks they couldn't be more different. Raven's from LA and Lexa's from New York. Raven's studying engineering and Lexa's double majoring in political science and psychology. Raven is an underachiever but a self proclaimed genius and academics come easy to her, something Lexa still has doubts about. Lexa on the other hand is smart and an over achiever, but has to work really hard to achieve success.

One thing they do seem to have in common is that they both love NASA and outer space.

Supposedly Raven is studying engineering because she wants to get into Caltech's graduate engineering program so she can work for NASA one day, which again Lexa is somewhat skeptical of. Especially with Raven's seeming lack of discipline, preparedness, and punctuality. She doesn't even bother to question it, not wanting to deal with the annoying conversations she knows it will no doubt lead to.

Lexa talks about how she's planning on going to law school because she wants to help people. Citing her desire to help kids, sharing a story about a friend in high school who had an abusive father and how the legal system failed them. It's part of what motivated Lexa to go to school to become a lawyer. Raven gets uncharacteristically quiet, a far off look in her eyes. Lexa frowns, unsure of what to do.

"Raven?" She asks quietly, not wanting to startle her.

"What? Oh, right sorry. That's cool you want to do that. You know, help people. Not a lot of people out there like that."

And something about Raven's words combined with the look in her eyes gives Lexa a pang in her chest, makes her wonder if she was wrong in her original assessment. Of course the moment of concern is quickly over when Raven makes an inappropriate sexual comment about lawyers to her, and Lexa rolls her eyes.

Eventually the interview ends and the professor tells them that the person they interviewed is the person they will be paired up with for the semester-long research project they'll be conducting. Lexa is practically seeing red, trying not to hyperventilate. Raven looks far too pleased and Lexa literally has to clench her fists at her side so she doesn't accidentally punch the cocky grin right off her face.

"Looks like you're stuck with me after all." Raven says smugly wiggling her eyebrows, and Lexa just sighs.

How did she get so unlucky?

Raven asks for her phone number, and Lexa knows she's being irrational but she refuses to give it to her, not trusting that Raven won't send her annoying messages or inappropriate texts. So she compromises and gives Raven her email addresses instead. Raven gives Lexa her phone number despite Lexa's unwillingness to do the same. "You know, just incase you change your mind or something." Which Lexa most definitely will not, but she pockets the number anyway, knowing that if they're working together all semester, it might come in handy at some point.

As soon as she leaves the classroom, Lexa rushes over to the student activities board, searching for a yoga class she knows she'll need to sign up for if she has any hope of surviving the semester with her sanity intact.

At the end of the day, Lexa is cleaning out her pockets before changing into her pajamas and finds Raven's number. She begrudgingly puts the number in her phone before she loses it. Lexa texts Raven to give her, her phone number, convincing herself that she's overreacting, and that she needs to be professional considering Raven is going to be her partner for the semester and that contacting each other by cell will be the most efficient method of communication.

Raven texts her a flirty comment back that she doesn't respond to, and Lexa is already regretting her decision.


	2. Chapter 2

**This Feels Like Falling In Love**

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**CHAPTER 2 - The Party Part 1**

_***TRIGGER WARNING*** for Homophobia, sexual harassment, and mild sexual assault. There's nothing too graphic or overly descriptive but some of the things that are said are blatantly homophobic and crude. If you want to skip that part stop reading when the dancing scene is over and skip to the next chapter._

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They decide on a topic for their group project.

Since they're both so obsessed with NASA and outer space, Lexa and Raven decide to do their research project on star visibility and light pollution. Their plan is to drive to different locations outside of the city, gathering data by using a sky quality meter to measure sky glow. The purpose being to find the effect of light pollution on star visibility. It's fairly simple, and is likely to have obvious results, but the purpose of their project is to create a valid research study, not make a new discovery, so they both agree to it.

They start up a texting relationship which mostly consists of Raven texting Lexa cheesy pick up lines and asking her to save her a seat in class, for which she is repeatedly late. Lexa begrudgingly agrees to do so, since they're often required to work together in class. Raven tries to make up for it by bringing Lexa coffee and compliments, and for the most part it works. But Lexa makes it quite clear that she's not interested in Raven's advances, ignoring her inappropriate texts and comments, but it only seems to make Raven want her more.

It's almost like Raven becomes low-key obsessed with her. She's always trying to flirt with Lexa and tell her how hot she is. Lexa would be lying if she said she didn't find it to be somewhat of an ego boost, though she would never admit that to Raven out loud. She's never had someone be so blatant and bold with their interest in her, and most of the time when Raven lavishes her with attention, Lexa is shy and gets easily flustered and embarrassed.

Raven seems to love it.

Although Raven is persistent in her pursuit, she's pretty much harmless. Always knowing when to back off or when she's pushed Lexa too far. After awhile Lexa starts to get used to their interactions, throwing back some of her own blunt and sarcastic remarks. She'll never admit it, but despite how distant and annoyed she acts, she secretly starts to like the way Raven flirts with her and looks at her.

Raven must sense the change, because she becomes more serious and persistent. Talking about how she plans on "wooing" Lexa, and Lexa just rolls her eyes and pretends not to care, but secretly can't wait.

They see each other around campus a few times at the cafeteria, library, and coffee shops. Lexa tries to keep her distance. Sometimes even going so far as to pretend she doesn't even notice Raven is there. For the most part, Raven respects that distance outside of class and leaves Lexa alone.

That all changes one night when Lexa finally allows one of her dorm mates to convince her to go to a frat party. From the moment she walks in, Lexa knows it's a mistake. The girl from her dorm immediately disappears, leaving Lexa alone to fend for herself.

Lexa makes her way over to what looks like a makeshift bar, opening a new package of red solo cups and mixing herself a drink. Making sure to only use a fresh can of soda and a sealed bottle of liquor. She's seen enough d-list horror movies to know better than to trust the mixture of jungle juice no doubt whipped up earlier that night. Who knows what's been slipped in there by now. She's leaning against the counter by the bar, minding her own business when she feels someone tap her on the shoulder.

She turns around, getting ready to tell off whoever it is and—

It's Raven. And she looks...good, if Lexa's being honest. She's wearing a pair of converse with black, ripped jeans, and a white v-neck tee under a button up denim shirt that she's left open. Her hair is still wild and tousled, thrown mostly over one shoulder. She gives Lexa a once a over, before meeting her eyes with a sly grin, and Lexa tries not to blush under the intensity of her gaze.

"Not that you don't normally, but you look really hot tonight." Raven says before offering to make Lexa a drink.

Lexa refuses, holding up the one she already has. "Nah, I'm good."

"Pity," Raven says. "Well, next one's on me." She moves around Lexa to mix her own drink. Careful to inspect the cups and drinks, much like Lexa did, and Lexa slides Raven the bottle of Jameson she used earlier, knowing it's safe.

"Whisky?" Raven asks, giving Lexa a questioning look, and Lexa just shrugs as Raven pours some into her cup. Once her drink is mixed, she sidles up next to Lexa, leaning against the counter so they're standing face-to-face.

"I'm surprised to see you here. You don't really strike me as the party going type. At least not the frat house variety."

"I'm not, usually. One of my dorm mates dragged me here and mysteriously disappeared. I think she only used me to get in because I'm twenty-one. I should have stayed home."

"Oh, come on now, Lexa. Don't be such a buzz kill. The night is still young. Who knows what kind of fun you could have." She says, wiggling her eyebrows and giving Lexa a cocky grin. And really, it's not fair how uncreepy Raven looks when she does that. It's actually borderline charming.

"Well, I'm sure it's not the kind of fun you're thinking." Lexa says, taking a large swig of her drink, and oh god, she really just said that out loud.

"Really?" Raven says, giving her a knowing look. "And what kind of fun is that?" The words are suggestive and Lexa hates the way her heart starts to race when Raven's eyes flicker down to her lips.

"I don't know. Something obscene and wildly inappropriate." Lexa sputters out, before finishing off her drink.

Raven just smirks. "Need a refill?" She asks, nodding her head toward Lexa's now empty cup.

Lexa shakes her head, moving to mix herself another drink, before shifting back to meet Raven's gaze.

"Are you just trying to get me drunk so you can get into my pants?" Lexa asks. She knows it's blunt, but she's tired of Raven playing games with her and she'd rather just be direct.

Raven snorts, coughing from inhaling some of her drink. "What? Of course not!" She scoffs, when she finally catches her breath. "I may be cocky and shameless when it comes to flirting and going after someone I like, but I'm not a total creep."

"Could have fooled me." Lexa shoots back and Raven scoffs again. "Also, I'm perfectly capable of making my own damn drink, thank you very much." Lexa adds, taking a sip of her drink for effect.

"I'm sure you're capable of a lot of things." Raven replies, her voice low and her eyes never leaving Lexa's.

Lexa can't help but blush at the heat behind Raven's words and the barely contained desire she sees swirling in her warm brown eyes. And yeah, Lexa is definitely not drunk enough for this conversation.

"So," Lexa says, clearing her throat a little awkwardly after taking a few more sips of her drink. "Whatever happened with that barista?"

Raven looks confused at first before a look of recognition crosses her face. "What? You mean Melissa? From the coffee stand?"

"Yeah, I guess." Lexa just shrugs, trying to look disinterested. Hating how much she's dying to know the answer. Not really sure why.

"Oh, that was nothing. Just having a little fun. She's not really my type if you know what I mean." Raven says giving Lexa a brazen look.

Lexa doesn't know why but suddenly her cheeks flush, her palms are sweaty and her heart skips a beat. She gulps down the rest of her drink, and really Lexa needs to pull herself together, because there's absolutely no way she should be feeling this way about someone like Raven Reyes.

"Really?" Lexa swallows nervously. "And what is your type?" Her words come out strained and almost husky and Lexa wants to take them back and smack herself in the face for being so easily affected.

Raven takes a step closer into Lexa's personal space and she's so close that Lexa can smell the whisky on her breath and feel it's warmth as it brushes over her lips. "I think you know by now."

Lexa gulps and tries to ignore the way her pulse starts racing and the tingling feeling between her thighs, and god, the two drinks she had must have been stronger than she realized because it's the only logical explanation for what she does next.

"Do I?" She asks coyly before licking her dry lips. Regretting it as Raven's eyes dart down to her mouth before flitting back up to meet her gaze, a dark and hungry look in her eyes.

"Yeah, you do." Raven breathes out, a challenging edge to her voice.

They're somehow standing even closer now and Lexa honestly thinks Raven is about to kiss her, when she's jolted from the moment by a large, muscular arm wrapping around her shoulder and pulling her away.

Her whole body tenses as she tries to pull away and realizes with mild relief that it's Brett. One of the star quarterbacks from their football team. He's in her philosophy class, and they're on polite speaking terms. She's not close enough with Brett for him to be casually touching her like this, but at least he's not a complete stranger.

Lexa tries to be polite and move away, but Brett just tightens his hold.

"Hey babe, don't I know you from somewhere?" He slurs loudly in her ear. He's clearly drunk and Lexa tries to pull away but Brett's hold is too strong.

"Yeah, Lexa Woods. From your philosophy class?" She's finally able to escape and holds out her hand as a more formal greeting. Brett looks at her hand momentarily confused.

"Oh right, yeah." He says, reaching out to shake her hand. "You're the hottie from the front row who asks all those questions." He grins, tightening his grip on her hand.

Brett continues to hold her hand longer than is appropriate before pulling her closer into him. Lexa is caught off guard and winces as she stumbles forward, thrown off balance by the sudden shift. The whole thing makes Lexa feel uncomfortable.

"Okay well it was nice to officially meet you Brett, but I have to get back to my friend."

"What? Who? I didn't see you come in with anyone. It seemed like you were here alone."

This only makes Lexa feel more uncomfortable to know that Brett has apparently been watching her.

"Um, well, I was just..." Lexa trails off, trying but failing to come up with a good excuse to get out of this situation as quickly as possible. She feels a slim hand loop through her free arm and breathes out a sigh of relief.

Raven.

"She's here with me. I invited her." Raven says firmly. Lexa glances over at her giving her a grateful look and Raven gives her a small nod in return.

"Raven? Lexa's here with you?" Brett asks skeptically. And something about the look in his eyes, and the way that his grip on Lexa's hand tightens, only increases her discomfort.

"Yeah, Brett. Do you have a problem with that?" Raven retorts, swinging her arm around Lexa's shoulders and leveling him with a harsh glare. Brett scowls and opens his mouth to respond, but before he can do so Raven cuts him off. "Oh, and while I've got your attention, why don't you get your hands off of her. You're clearly making Lexa uncomfortable, incase her multiple attempts to pull away from you haven't made it obvious."

Brett gives Lexa's hand one last hard squeeze before abruptly letting go. It throws her off balance again, but thankfully Raven is right there to steady her with an arm around her waist. Brett just glares at them with a look of disgust.

"Whatever, I have better things to do with my time anyway." He spits out at Raven angrily, before shifting his gaze to Lexa. "Nice to see you Lexa," he says giving her a sickeningly sweet grin. "Maybe we can hang out together sometime. I'll see you in class."

Lexa doesn't really know how to respond, just gives him a stiff nod. "Bye, Brett. See you."

"Oh, you definitely will." He replies, a slightly predatory look in his eyes and Lexa feels Raven's body tense beside her.

"Beat it pal!" Raven practically growls out, tightening her arm around Lexa possessively, and Lexa feels a spike of anger in her chest.

Brett just grumbles before turning and walking away, and Lexa spins around angrily to face her.

"Was that really necessary?" Lexa seethes, and Raven looks confused.

"Are you serious right now? Shouldn't you be thanking me for helping you get out of that situation?" She gives Lexa an incredulous look, completely thrown off by the sudden turn of events.

Lexa lets out an angry huff. "You didn't have to step in like that. I was handling it just fine."

"Oh yeah," Raven scoffs, "It really looked like you had things handled there, what with the way Brett was grabbing you and disrespecting your boundaries. I was just trying to help you out, no need to be rude. Next time I see you in a situation like that I'll just let you fend for yourself!"

She gives Lexa an angry look before turning to leave and Lexa panics, realizing how much of a jerk she's been.

"Wait, Raven. I'm sorry!" Lexa says pleadingly, and Raven stops and turns back to her. "I shouldn't have gotten mad at you like that. I know you were just trying to help. I'm just not used to people standing up for me. Normally I take care of myself."

Raven's expression softens and she nods, seeming to accept Lexa's answer. "Hey, I get it. It's fine. Tough, bad ass chick who can take care of herself and doesn't need anyone's help. Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt." Raven tries to joke and lighten the mood.

"It's not just that, it's..." Lexa pauses, taking a deep breath, and Raven gives her a questioning look. "I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at Brett. And myself for coming across as the type of person guys like him feel comfortable being that way with."

Raven's eyes go wide in shock.

"Lexa," she says earnestly, moving a hand to grip her arm. "What Brett did was on him. He's the one at fault here not you."

Lexa sighs. "I know, you're right. It's just, there must be some type of vibe I'm giving off that gives someone like him the idea that he could just do something like that to me and have it be okay."

"That sounds a lot like victim blaming, Miss hot shot lawyer." She says, giving Lexa a pointed look. "Total bullshit if you ask me."

"That's not what I mean!" Lexa huffs, having difficulty explaining herself. "I know it's not my fault. But what is it about me that made Brett feel like it was okay to do that? I mean it's not like he came up to you and did that, but for some reason he felt like it was okay to do it to me. Why?"

"Besides the fact that Brett's a drunk douche and you're insanely hot?" Raven says that last part while giving Lexa a once over, and it makes Lexa blush.

"Raven, I'm serious!" She says, swatting at Raven's arm.

"So am I. I would never joke about your hotness, Lexa." Raven says with the most serious look on her face, and Lexa rolls her eyes, grateful they're back to this easy banter between them.

"Look, Lex," Raven says, and Lexa tries to ignore the way her heart flutters at the nick name. "In all seriousness, I don't know what makes assholes like Brett think they have the right to touch women's bodies without permission. Especially when they're clearly uncomfortable and trying to pull away. But if you're wondering why Brett went for you and not me, it could have to do with the fact that he knows I'm gay. He's tried things on me in the past, and found out the hard way that he's definitely not my type."

Lexa wants to ask more, but the look in Raven's eyes tells her she won't be getting any more information on that matter.

"Now," Raven smiles, sidling back up to Lexa's side, "Why don't you let me make you that drink?"

"Not a chance." Lexa smiles, bantering back, and Raven just lets out an exasperated sigh.

After they've both had more to drink, Lexa pokes fun at Raven for getting so protective.

"You know, I never really took you as the jealous type, Raven." Which is a lie, because Raven is the epitome of a protective jealous person.

"Oh, please! Don't flatter yourself, Lexa. I'd do the same for any of my friends." Raven retorts.

"Oh, so we're friends now?" Lexa teases back.

"Well, considering you're refusing to be wooed, I guess that's what I'll have to settle for," Raven sighs before lifting up her drink and looking Lexa in the eyes. "Friends?" She asks, somewhat hopefully.

The look in Raven's eyes is genuine, and honestly after Raven stood up for her tonight Lexa can't reject her. "Friends," Lexa agrees, lifting up her cup and clinking it, before they both take a drink. "Don't make me regret it." She says, before thinking better of it.

"Oh, I definitely will." Raven smirks.

Lexa just rolls her eyes and laughs.

"You know, this is actually kind of fun." Raven smiles, taking another sip of her drink.

"Yeah, it is." Lexa replies, giving Raven a small smile back.

Lexa has to admit she's having a good time, and she really likes this funny, more nerdy side of Raven. Prefers it to her normally cocky self. So maybe that's why Lexa agrees to it when Raven asks her to dance.

Raven is silly and chivalrous about it. Holding out her hand and giving a slight bow as she says, "May I have this dance, my lady?"

Lexa rolls her eyes and makes a comment about them not being at a gala but at a frat party, but she still takes Raven's hand and lets her lead them through the crowd of people to the dance floor.

The dancing is pretty innocent at first.

They dance face to face, barely even touching. As the music plays on, they become more comfortable with each other, and start to get more touchy. It's still pretty innocent, nothing beyond holding hands or brushing each other's arms or holding onto each other's shoulders, all while keeping a respectable distance between them. It's all very middle school dance friendly. Eventually a slower song comes on and Lexa is about to leave the dance floor, but Raven insists they stay and dance.

They're slow dancing.

They're actually slow dancing. Raven pulls Lexa close, looping her arms around Lexa's neck and closing the space between them until their hips and chests are practically flush. Raven's body is warm and solid pressed against her own, and Lexa settles her hands around Raven's waist, trying not to think too much about the fact that she can feel Raven's toned muscles rippling beneath her fingertips as she moves.

Lexa's mouth goes dry when Raven starts to grind against her.

She's powerless to do anything other than give into the dance. It's a slow, steady grind of thighs and hips, and they both lose themselves in the sway of the steady beat. Lexa can feel Raven's hot humid breath against her neck, and the hypnotic way her hips move back and forth, swaying and stuttering when the beat shifts. The whole thing makes Lexa feel so incredibly hot and bothered, and she hopes Raven doesn't notice the thin sheen of sweat covering her skin, or the way her breath hitches and her hips arch when Raven presses against her just right. And god, it's been way too long since Lexa last had sex. It's the only explanation for why her body is responding like this.

When the music switches back to something more upbeat, they go back to normal dancing with minimal touching and Lexa actually misses having Raven so pressed so close to her. Despite Raven's shameless flirting all night, she seems completely unaware of the effect she's having on Lexa, and she's back to being her normal, goofy self. Lexa tries to ignore the disappointment she feels, chalking it up to the effects of alcohol and the serious lack of sex she's had over the past few years.

They're still dancing and having fun when all of a sudden someone comes up behind Lexa, grabs her by the hips, and pulls her back so they can grind up against her, gripping her painfully tight. Lexa is so shocked and caught off guard that her whole body freezes, and she starts to panic when she sees Raven's face shift to anger.

"Hey! Get your fucking hands off her!" Raven snarls, moving to Lexa and pulling her free.

Lexa's heart is racing.

When she turns around, she sees that once again it's Brett who's grabbing her without permission and she shudders, feeling violated and disgusted. The only thing keeping her steady are Raven's strong arms and shoulders as she shifts Lexa behind her, placing herself between Lexa and Brett. Lexa just leans against her for support, gripping the back of her shirt.

"Hey relax sweetheart, I'm just trying to have some fun with that sweet piece of ass. No need to get so worked up. What's it to you?" Brett says mockingly.

Lexa can feel the anger and barely controlled rage as Raven's body tenses and starts to shake.

"Don't talk about her like that, you fucking asshole! And incase you didn't get the message earlier, she's not interested in your sorry ass! She has better things to do than deal with you trying to stick your micro dick where it doesn't belong. So walk the fuck away!"

This seems to anger Brett and Lexa is honestly afraid a fight is going to break out when he clenches his jaw and fists, and steps forward into their space. Lexa never really realized until now how large and imposing Brett is. He towers over them menacingly and he's close enough that Lexa can smell the nauseating scent of his expensive cologne mixed with the alcohol and tobacco on his breath. She's terrified, but Raven doesn't seem the least bit scared. In fact, she seems even more confident than before, puffing out her chest and squaring up to him.

"No one asked you, you fucking dyke!" He spits out so loudly that others around them start to stare.

Lexa finally snaps out of her shock at that and feels rage building in her chest. It's one thing to be dealing with a handsy, entitled frat boy, but someone who is all of those things, plus an ignorant bigot is a different story altogether. If Lexa wasn't so intimidated by his pure size, she'd want to punch him in the face. She has no idea how Raven remains so cool and collected when Brett is throwing insults at her.

"You need to walk away. Now." Raven says in a calm but threatening voice.

But Brett doesn't listen. He continues to spit out rude and demeaning comments to Raven. The anger and ignorance coming through his words and causing tension to build in the room. Lexa feels herself start to panic when Brett gets even closer into their space.

"Raven, come on. Let's just go. He's not worth it. You don't need to prove anything." Lexa pleads, trying to cut through the noise and tension in the room.

When that doesn't work, she tries to pull Raven's shirt and urge her to leave, but it's like Raven doesn't even hear her or notice her, and maybe she doesn't. Lexa's voice is shaky and the base heavy music is still blaring through the speakers and filling the room, making everything so much more chaotic and intense.

Eventually some of Brett's friends take notice and try to get him to walk away, but Brett is drunk and almost a foot taller than them and won't listen to reason.

"No, this disgusting bitch over here thinks she can tell me what to do!"

Raven remains calm under the onslaught of bigotry and disrespect, but when Brett turns his attention back to Lexa, it's like something inside of Raven snaps.

"You think a carpet muncher like you can satisfy a sweet pussy like hers. No fucking way. Just you wait until I get my hands on her and she'll know what it feels like to be fucked for real when I put my big cock inside of her. I bet she's so hot and tight for me that I'll split her in half. Isn't that right, Lexa? You want to be fucked by me, don't you baby?" He leers before making a disgusting motion with his tongue and grabbing his crotch.

And it's like something inside of Raven snaps. Lexa swears she literally hears her growl as she steps into Brett's space until they're standing chest to chest. "I told you not to talk to her like that you disgusting piece of shit! Last chance to walk away." She threatens, and that last part worries Lexa.

"Oh yeah, and what are you gonna do about it if I don't you stupid bitch? Hmm? Hit me?" He taunts, snickering in her face.

"Yup." Raven says with a jerky nod before shoving his chest and catching him in the face with a solid right hook that has his head snapping to the side as he stumbles back in shock.

When Brett pulls back his hand from his mouth and sees blood, the shock and surprise that cover his face quickly shift to anger and rage. He lunges forward into their space and oh god, Lexa is about to watch Raven get beat up by a guy twice her size!

**_Notes: _**_Again, let me know what you guys think since I'm still trying to figure out if there's enough interest in this story for me to continue posting it._

_Feel free to hit me up on tumblr at lexxaven and send me messages or asks on anon about the story or about Lexaven in general :)_


	3. Chapter 3

**This Feels Like Falling In Love**

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**Chapter 3 - ****The Party Part 2**

_*Trigger Warning: Description of Injuries. Mild Violence. Homophobia.*_

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By some miracle, Brett's friends manage to catch him in time and pull him back, but not before an elbow catches Raven in the eye and her head snaps back as she cries out in pain. Lexa feels herself start to panic at the action, and she quickly grabs Raven's hand, and pulls hard until she's turned around facing her so she can assess the damage. She takes in her swollen and bleeding eye, her furrowed brow and clenched jaw and the anger swirling in her darkening eyes, and for a moment it's like Raven isn't even there. It's like she's somewhere else completely, consumed by her anger and rage.

Lexa doesn't know how to snap her out of it so she places a hand on Raven's cheek, trying to get her to meet her gaze. "Raven?" She breathes out shakily and thankfully it seems to work.

"Lexa?" Raven says, panic in her voice and a lost look in her eyes. Lexa's heart clenches in her chest. She wants to know how Raven got like this; the reason behind all of her protectiveness and rage. The reason behind that lost look in her eyes, but now is not the time or place.

"Raven please. You're hurt. We have to go!" She pleads, and Raven's eyes seem to soften even more at Lexa's request and she nods.

"Okay, let's get out of here." She says, and Lexa takes that as her cue, pulling Raven by the hand and weaving them through the crowd. Raven just holds on tight.

"You'll pay for this you fucking dyke! You hear me? You messed with the wrong person!"

Lexa can hear Brett screaming out threats behind them, but she doesn't even turn around, she just keeps pulling Raven forward as they make their way through the crowd. She feels like it takes them forever, but they eventually make it through the large group of people and away from the dance floor. Lexa doesn't even stop. She grabs a towel off the makeshift bar, and just keeps pulling Raven along until they make it outside and they're both gasping in the cool night air.

Lexa is just trying to calm down and catch her breath and doesn't even realize they're still holding hands until she feels a slight tug and she comes face to face with concerned brown eyes.

"Hey, are you okay?" Raven asks, her brow furrowed in concern, her eyes serious and imploring. There's a slight tremble in her voice, and Lexa just stares at her in disbelief. Watches as the gash above her right eye continues to bleed, handing her the towel so she can put pressure on the wound.

"Am I okay?" Lexa repeats and Raven nods, pressing the towel to her head and gently rubbing the back of Lexa's hand with her thumb. The motion is both soothing and unsettling and Lexa can't even begin to think about what that means.

"Are you serious right now? You're hurt and bleeding, and almost got beat up by a football player more than twice your size and you're asking me if I'm okay?" The words come out more harsh and accusing than Lexa means them to, but she can't help it. She's completely thrown off by tonight's events and Raven's line of questioning seems even more absurd.

"Yeah, Lexa. I want to know if you're okay." Raven says, her jaw clenched, her eyes compassionate and soft. And all Lexa can do is stare as Raven takes a step closer and reaches up a hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, before shifting to cup her cheek.

"What Brett did to you was so fucking wrong! He had no right to touch you like that or treat you like that. God he seriously is a fucking sick piece of shit! He was vulgar and demeaning and completely out of line, and it's not okay. You have every right to be upset. No woman should ever be grabbed like that without her consent."

Lexa feels her chest tighten with emotion. She doesn't know how to respond, so she reaches up to pull Raven's hand from her cheek, giving it a gentle squeeze before twining it with her own.

"Do you think we should call the police?" Lexa asks.

Raven balks at the idea, her whole body stiffening as she pulls back. "No, Lexa. That will only make things worse."

"What? How?" Lexa asks surprised, completely confused by Raven's response.

"In case you didn't notice, I was the one who punched Brett. You really think the cops aren't going to side with the rich, white football player?"

"Raven, please." Lexa says, feeling panic start to build in her chest. "You're hurt and bleeding and Brett threatened you as we were leaving. How can you be sure he doesn't mean it? I understand your concerns but I really don't think the police will be able to charge you with anything considering the fact that there are dozens of witness who saw Brett harassing us and getting in our space. Not to mention the very specific threats he was yelling at you. God, what if he really means them Raven? What if he tries to hurt you? Or worse! Shouldn't we call the police just to be safe?" Lexa can't help the way the words come tumbling out. She's shaken from the night's events and unable to contain the feelings of fear and desperation that have been building in her chest. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.

"Lexa, hey. It's okay." Raven tries to soothe, stepping into Lexa's space and tracing the back of her hand with her thumb. "Hey, will you look at me?" Raven asks softly, and when Lexa opens her eyes her heart flutters at the genuine look of concern and care Raven is giving her. "I know that tonight felt scary and intense but everyone here is so drunk that by tomorrow the whole thing will be forgotten. There's no need to make a bigger deal out of this than it is. Brett acted like a douche, I punched him, and before he could beat me up his friends stopped him and I was accidentally injured in the process. It could have turned out a lot worse."

The words do nothing to soothe Lexa's fears, but it's hard to argue with Raven when she's bleeding and looking at her with so much softness and concern.

"What about the hospital? Shouldn't we at least get you checked out? You might have a concussion or need stitches."

"No!" Raven practically shouts, her whole body tensing at the suggestion, and Lexa is once again confused by Raven's response. That lost look from earlier is back on her face, and Lexa feels her heart sink and a newfound sense of urgency to understand the reason behind it.

"What's wrong?" Lexa asks quietly, reaching up to take the towel from Raven so she can help take over. Their fingers brush in the exchange, and it seems to break Raven out of whatever trance she was in.

"What? Oh, it's nothing. I'm fine." She says, her words stilted and unconvincing.

"You're not fine, Raven. You're bleeding. Head wounds can be serious. Don't you want to get checked out and make sure you're okay?" Lexa tries not to sound too panicky but it's hard.

There's a soft flicker of appreciation in Raven's eyes, but then she blinks once, twice and it's quickly replaced by the confident veneer she so easily puts on. "It's nothing a few bandaids won't fix. Trust me Lexa, I've been through a lot worse."

And something about the way Raven just so casually shrugs and says that last statement makes Lexa's stomach feel sick. She wants to know more, but Raven's guard is up, and she knows they don't know each other well enough for someone like Raven to open up to her like that. So she lets out a small sigh and nods before shifting directions completely.

"Thanks for standing up for me in there. It was incredibly stupid, but brave and not a lot of people would have done what you did."

Again there's that flicker of appreciation and warmth in Raven's eyes, and this time it stays there.

"It's not a big deal." Raven shrugs, her voice soft and her eyes filled with an emotion that Lexa can't quite decipher. "You don't deserve to be treated like that, Lexa. Nobody does. And I couldn't just stand there and let Brett get away with it. What he did was wrong." She says, clenching her jaw and squeezing Lexa's hand.

Lexa just nods and squeezes back. Momentarily speechless by Raven's fierce protectiveness over her. She has no idea what she's done to deserve it, but she can't let herself think about that right now. Not with everything that's happened tonight. That nagging feeling of fear is back and Lexa can't help but bring it up again.

"Are you sure we shouldn't call the police? It's just, with everything that happened tonight I..." Lexa trails off, tears gathering in her eyes as her emotions get the best of her.

"I'm such an idiot." Raven sighs, taking the towel back so Lexa can wipe away her tears.

"What?" Lexa asks, confused by Raven's response.

"I was so focused on not wanting to call the police because of what happened to me, that I didn't even think about calling the police because of what happened to you. If you want to call them so you can report Brett, we will." Raven says firmly, a concerned and resolute look on her face.

"What? Raven, I wasn't even thinking about that."

"Well, maybe you should. Seriously Lexa, I know I made a big deal out of it, but don't even worry about that. Do _you_ want to call the police and report Brett?"

Lexa stops to think about it. She hadn't even considered calling the police for herself, since Raven is the one who was so blatantly hurt. But she is studying law and technically what Brett did to her tonight could be categorized as sexual harassment and assault. Was it really that bad that she needs to get the police involved? And if she does, will they even take her claims seriously since she was at a frat party drinking?

"Lexa?" Raven asks gently, pulling her from her thoughts.

Her brown eyes are so caring and warm and something about the way she looks at Lexa and steadily holds her gaze has Lexa suddenly becoming aware of how exhausted she is. She can tell Raven feels the same way too, her eyes starting to droop and her body starting to sway, and the last thing Lexa wants to do is make this horrible night drag on any longer than it already has.

"No. I don't want to call the police."

"Are you sure? I don't want you to make this decision because of what I said earlier. Your physical well-being and safety are more important than that. You have every right to report him."

"I know, Raven. But after everything that's happened, I just want this night to be over."

"Okay, as long as you're sure?" Raven asks, searching Lexa's eyes for the truth.

"I'm sure if you're sure." Lexa says softly, trying to lighten the mood.

"I'm sure." Raven says, offering up a small smile in return, and Lexa tries to ignore the fluttering in her chest.

"Well, now that that's settled," Lexa says, shifting directions again. "Will you at least come back to my dorm room so I can help you take care of your head wound?"

"What you're a doctor now?" Raven smirks, giving her a teasing look, before taking Lexa's arm and steering them back toward the dorms. Lexa allows it since Raven is partially drunk with a head injury and has been swaying unsteadily on her feet.

"No, but I did spend three summers as a lifeguard at a pool and am first aid and CPR certified."

"You were a lifeguard?" Raven asks, surprise in her voice and a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Yes, Raven. I was a lifeguard. Is that really so hard for you to imagine?"

"Oh, no. I can picture it just fine." Raven smiles, staring off into the distance like she's literally conjuring up images of her.

Lexa tries not to blush.

"You know, maybe we should take you to the hospital. That knock to the head seems to have caused some serious damage to your brain."

Raven just laughs, tightening her grip on Lexa's arm as they continue to walk. They settle into a comfortable silence and Lexa thinks that it's actually quite nice.

"You know, as much as tonight sucked, at least one good thing came out of it." Raven says.

"What's that?"

"Friends, remember?"

"Oh, right. Friends." Lexa says, not sure why the statement makes her heart skip a beat. She's never really been someone who's had a lot of friends in her life, and certainly not any who would put themselves in harms way for her.

"I mean, unless you're inviting me back to your dorm under the guise of fixing me up, just so you can make out with me and have me call you Dr. Woods? Very tropey of you, but I'd still be into it."

Lexa turns beet red.

"Oh my god! Seriously, Raven? Why are you like this?"

"It's part of my charm." Raven grins and Lexa just lets out an exasperated sigh and shakes her head.

"I think I'm going to ask to be transferred to a different philosophy class." Lexa says, shifting the conversation to something more appropriate.

"That's probably a good idea," Raven agrees, squeezing her arm. "The last thing you need is to be seeing that dickwad around campus."

"Do you think we made the right decision about tonight?" Lexa asks, still feeling uncertain as the bruises around Raven's eye continue to form.

"I don't know." Raven says honestly. "I think so. I mean, I didn't get this from Brett," she says motioning to her head. "I think it was from one of his friends who was trying to pull him away. I'm not going to report someone who saved me from getting beat up. Plus, everyone was so wasted they probably won't even remember what happened. I really don't think those guys will be a problem. I've never met any of them—besides Brett—before tonight. We don't run in the same social circles, I doubt I'll ever see them again."

Raven is wrong, so very wrong because she does see them again.

Unbeknownst to Lexa, Raven starts getting harassed by Brett and some of the guys from his fraternity. They leave her threatening messages in front of her dorm room, and follow her around campus, and sometimes even drive by her while she's walking, yelling out threats. Raven doesn't tell Lexa it's going on. She's dealt with these types of people before, and knows the best thing to do is just ignore them. Plus, she doesn't want to worry her friend.

That's another development—they're friends now.

Since the night of the party Lexa and Raven have become friends. The trauma of the night together along with the way Raven stood up for Lexa and Lexa took care of Raven's injuries bonded them together in a unique way. They meet each other for meals, do homework in the library, and even start hanging out together on Friday nights. They hang out almost every day in some capacity, and despite all their apparent differences, they actually get along quite well. But there's no need to worry Lexa by telling her what's going on. So Raven keeps it from her.

In fact, Lexa doesn't find out about it at all until weeks later when they come out of the Library late one evening after studying. They find Raven's windshield has been smashed and the word "dyke" has been spray painted on the side of her car.

"Oh my god, what the hell happened to your car?" Lexa freaks out, but Raven remains nonchalant, just letting out a long sigh and giving Lexa a shrug.

"Who knows, probably some assholes trying to pull a stupid prank." She sighs. "I'll have to take it into the shop sometime tomorrow to get it fixed. Shouldn't be too expensive." She says, as she makes her way over to the car, pulling the sleeve of her light denim jacket over her hand as she tries to brush away some of the shattered glass.

There's something about her exhausted sigh and resigned and defeated tone that infuriates Lexa. There's no way in hell Lexa is going to let this go. It's not right. She pulls Raven by the shoulders until they're standing face to face.

"Raven, this is not just some stupid prank! At the very least it's vandalism, if not a hate crime!" Lexa knows she's practically yelling now, but she can't help it. She can't remember the last time she felt this angry about something. Not angry at Raven, but angry for her.

Raven just rolls her eyes. "Lexa please, I know you're studying to become a lawyer, but there's no need to be so dramatic. It's just a stupid prank." She says weakly.

"Even you don't believe that, Raven. Look, I'm sorry for yelling, but this is serious." Lexa says more calmly this time, rubbing her hands up and down Raven's arms, not sure if she's doing it to sooth Raven or herself. Raven's expression seems to soften at this.

"Lexa, I appreciate that you care about me. I really do. But I'm not going to make this more serious than it is. A new paint job and windshield are an easy fix. I can do the work myself and it'll barely cost a thing. It's not worth making a big deal out of."

To somebody else, the words might be soothing and convincing, but Lexa is not so easily swayed.

"Raven, I know you don't want to make a big deal out of this. But this is serious! We don't know who the people are that did this or if they'll do this to someone else. I've studied cases like this before. If not dealt with properly they can escalate into something more dangerous. We need to call the police."

"No. Absolutely not! We are not getting the police involved in this. You and I both know the campus police are worthless anyway. Plus, after a little incident I had with them last year when a science experiment went wrong and part of the lab burned down, I'm trying to stay off their radar."

Lexa is temporarily distracted by Raven's confession, and makes a mental note to ask her about it later, but the situation at hand is far too serious to let it distract her. "I'm not talking about the campus police Raven. I'm talking about the real police. Hate crimes like this are a felony. This is serious!" She knows her voice sounds desperate and pleading, but she just wants Raven to understand.

"No, Lexa. I said no police! I know you're trying to help, but you're honestly just going to make things worse!" Raven scowls and crosses her arms over her chest, her reaction confusing Lexa even more.

"How am I going to make things worse?" Lexa yells back, feeling frustrated by Raven's resistance.

"You just are!" Raven huffs, giving Lexa a challenging look.

"That's not a real reason!" Lexa bites back, feeling her irritation build.

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

They both get locked into a heated gaze, silently daring the other to speak.

"God, you're infuriating!" Raven practically shouts.

"Look who's talking!" Lexa snaps.

When she sees the brief look of hurt flash through Raven's eyes, she immediately feels guilty. "God, look at us fighting with each other like idiots. We shouldn't be mad at each other, but mad at the person who did this to you." Lexa sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I know. You're right." Raven lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. I know you're just trying to help." She concedes and they both let out a sigh of relief as the tension between them starts to diffuse.

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have yelled either. It just makes me so angry that someone would do something like this to you, and they're just out there walking around with no consequences at all. What if they do this again or do this to someone else?"

"They won't." Raven says, crossing her arms over her chest.

"How can you be so sure?"

"I just am. Lexa, please." Raven says, stepping into Lexa's space and reaching for her hands.

There's a desperate look in her eyes and a plea in her tone, and Lexa hates it. Hates that anyone is making Raven feel this way. She wants to make it all go away, but she can't, so she just squeezes Raven's hands and rubs soothing circles on the back of them with her thumbs.

Raven's voice is quieter this time. "I know it doesn't make any sense to you, but I need you to trust me on this, okay? Going to the police with this will only make things worse. I know you've studied cases for school, but I've actually dealt with people like this before in real life. Getting the police involved will only escalate this type of thing. The best thing we can do is just ignore whoever's doing this, and once they realize they're not getting the reaction they want, they'll stop."

Something about the way Raven pleads and reasons with her, has Lexa caving in. She doesn't know what has Raven so scared, but as a friend she knows that forcing her to call the police when she's so adamantly against it, is not the right thing to do.

"Okay."

"Okay? Just like that?" Raven asks, surprised.

"Yes. I'm not saying I agree with your decision or that I'm happy about it. But I'm not going to force you to do something you don't want to do, Raven."

"Thank you for understanding." Raven says softly, looking relieved.

"I don't." Lexa says honestly. "I don't understand why you won't call the police, but I trust you Raven. I trust you to make the right decision for yourself. I've never dealt with people like this before, and if you have and you say this is the best way to deal with them, then that's what we'll do."

Raven looks close to tears.

"Thank you, Lexa. Seriously, thank you for trusting me on this."

Lexa nods. "I only have two request."

"Which are?" Raven draws out, giving Lexa a skeptical look.

"First, if something like this happens again, you promise to let me know. No more secrets okay?"

"That's a little dramatic that I was keeping secrets from you, but fine. If something else happens, I'll let you know. What else?"

"Second, at least let me take pictures of the damage done to your car. Just incase something even worse were to happen to you or someone else. At least then we'd have some tangible evidence to build a case if we need it. Also, make sure to document and keep the receipts for your repairs."

"Okay, fine miss hot shot lawyer. I'll save my receipts and you can take pictures of my car. As long as you promise not to go to the police without me."

"Of course I promise. I would never do that to you, Raven. I only want to have them incase you ever need them."

"Okay." Raven nods, and Lexa lets go of Raven's hands and gets to work. She makes her way around the car, snapping pictures and looking around the parking lot to make sure she hasn't missed any important clues. When she's satisfied she has everything she needs, she walks back over to Raven and pulls her into a hug.

"I'm sorry this happened to you." She whispers into Raven's hair, feeling tears welling up with the emotion in her chest. "I know you act like you can take it. Like shit like this doesn't bother you, but I know deep down it does. If you ever need to talk about it, I'm here."

Raven doesn't say anything, just exhales loudly and sags in Lexa's arms, gripping the back of her shirt. She feels so small and vulnerable that Lexa just hugs her even tighter and Raven just sinks into it. After several minutes pass, Raven finally speaks. "I know you are. Thank you, Lex." They stand there for a few more minutes before breaking apart.

"You ready to head back?" Raven asks.

"Yeah, let's go."

So they drive back to their dorms, and Lexa tries to ignore the uneasy feeling she has.

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_Notes: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! As always reviews and favorits are appreciated as it helps to keep my confidence up and gives me motivation to keep posting and writing. I love hearing what you're liking/thinking._


	4. Chapter 4

**This Feels Like Falling In Love**

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**Chapter 4: Consequences**

_*TRIGGER WARNING: Fairly graphic description of injuries.*_

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A week passes by and nothing else happens.

Raven goes into the shop and fixes her car the next morning, making sure to save her receipts, and by the time she comes to pick Lexa up for dinner that night, the broken windshield is gone and the car is sporting a new coat of paint. Raven is back to her cocky self, and it's like nothing ever happened. Lexa just hopes it stays that way.

She doesn't get her wish.

It's Friday night and she's getting ready in her dorm. Raven is supposed to pick her up in five minutes, and after spending too much time on tumblr earlier reblogging pictures of cute cats and cups of tea, she's rushing around while finishing getting dressed and doing her makeup and hair. She's putting on the finishing touches when she stops to check the time—it's 7:10pm. That's odd. Raven was supposed to pick her up ten minutes ago and she's rarely late. Usually by now she'd be blowing up Lexa's phone, calling or texting her and giving her a hard time for running late. While Raven may be late to classes, she's rarely late for social gatherings, always extremely punctual and even early sometimes. Lexa is the opposite. Early for classes, always running late for social events.

She checks her phone to make sure there aren't any missed calls or texts, and when she doesn't find any she's a little confused. She's only been friends with Raven for a little over a month so she doesn't know for sure but it seems out of character for her. She knows it's normal for people to run late—she's a living breathing example of that right now—but the few times Raven has been late, she's always made sure to text Lexa and let her know.

Lexa tries not to overreact.

Maybe Raven's phone died and she had to run back to her dorm to get her charger and can't call or text because it's still charging? Maybe she got a flat tire, and is too busy dealing with it to get in touch with her. Or maybe she overslept. There are plenty of logical explanations for why Raven is late and hasn't called her. And honestly, Lexa just needs to chill and not get herself so worked up and stop being so controlling.

She thinks about going outside to wait, but the weather is getting cooler and after a long day of walking all over campus, she doesn't want to be standing any longer than she has to in the heels she's wearing out tonight. She goes back to her desk, shooting Raven a quick text before opening up tumblr, figuring she'll distract herself by scrolling through more pictures of kittens and tea. She makes sure to keep her phone face up on her desk so she can easily see any incoming calls or texts.

She gets distracted for awhile, but now it's 7:35pm and she still hasn't heard from Raven. She checks her phone again, and still nothing. Maybe Raven really did oversleep. Lexa knows she had a late night last night trying to finish a paper that was due today, so it's possible. She thinks about just letting Raven sleep, but she knows Raven will be mad at her for letting her miss out on a night of fun, so she decides to give her a call.

The phone goes straight to voicemail.

"Hey! It's Raven. Obviously I can't answer my phone right now. I'm either busy or screening your calls. Either way leave a message and if you're lucky I might actually listen to it. Later!"

Lexa hangs up. She knows Raven sometimes turns her phone off when she's sleeping and voicemails aren't really their thing. She knows if Raven sees a missed text from her, she'll call or text back. So she goes back to tumblr trying to kill some time.

8pm rolls around and she gets a text from Octavia asking where they are. Lexa texts her back, letting her know what's going on, and Octavia says she'll text Raven's roommate to go wake her up, thinking that she probably overslept. Lexa gets a text back from her a few minutes later telling her that Raven's roommate says she left their dorm over an hour ago to head over to Lexa's, and Lexa starts to panic. She texts back frantically to Octavia telling her Raven is still not there before looking out her window to survey the parking lot below. She sees Raven's car pulled up to the curb, and it looks like it's turned off.

Lexa has no idea why Raven is so late, but she's relieved to see she's finally made it, she's probably walking up to meet her right now. She texts Octavia back, telling her never mind. That Raven is at her dorm right now to pick her up. She inspects herself in the mirror one more time, smoothing down her hair and applying a little more lipstick before grabbing her phone and purse and heading out the door.

She makes her way to the staircase. Internally grumbling about the outdated dorm's lack of elevators, especially when she's in heels. She makes her way down, expecting to meet Raven along the way, but when she gets to the bottom and there's still no sign of her, Lexa is more confused than ever.

Where the hell is she?

Lexa goes to check outside, thinking maybe Raven is waiting out there for her. She looks down the sidewalk but sees no sign of her, and grumbles as she makes her way back up the stairs to her room, wondering if she's somehow missed her. When she gets back to her floor, she checks the hallway and there's still no sign of her and Lexa really starts to worry. There are only so many places Raven could be. Where the hell is she? She texts her and after receiving no response, she calls, but the phone goes straight to voicemail again.

Lexa starts to panic.

Why is Raven's car outside when she's nowhere to be found? Why is her phone still not working? Where the hell could she be? Lexa decides to go downstairs and look around one more time before she calls Octavia and maybe the police. She gets to the bottom entryway, too worried to even think about the way her heels are pinching her feet. She steps outside again into the cool night air, and looks around. She sees nothing at first and decides to walk to Raven's car and see if she's in it. Maybe Raven has been waiting in her car the whole time and there's just been a problem with their phones connecting.

But when she gets to the car and finds it empty—and doesn't see Raven in the parking lot—she immediately pulls out her phone to call Octavia. But before she gets a chance, she hears a noise coming from a dark alcove by the side of the building. At first she thinks it's some type of animal since the campus is practically overrun by squirrels, but when she hears the sound again she realizes it's a person's voice and that voice sounds achingly familiar. She turns on the flashlight on her phone, and rushes over to the noise, and what she sees is horrifying.

It's Raven.

She's crumpled up on the ground, covered in blood and Lexa's not even sure if she's still breathing. She drops to her knees in panic and reaches to grip Raven's arm, unable to stop herself from touching her, needing to know if she's alive. When Raven groans at the contact, Lexa lets out a cry of relief and immediately springs into action. She quickly dials 911 and gives the operator their address and a brief description of what's going on. That she found her friend beat up and unconscious and thinks she's been attacked. She relays as much information as she can before hanging up.

She reaches for Raven's hand and it's cold. How long has Raven been laying out here bleeding? The question makes her feel sick to her stomach, and she's quick to take off her coat and drape it over Raven's limp body, smoothing a lock of hair behind her ear and using her scarf to wipe away some of the blood on her face.

The movement seems to stir Raven awake. "Lexa?" She croaks out, and Lexa has never felt more relieved.

"Raven! Oh my god, Raven! It's going to be okay. I called an ambulance, they're on the way."

"Lexa," Raven rasps and coughs, groaning in pain as she tries to sit up. She barely makes it a few inches before Lexa is balling up her scarf and placing it under Raven's head, carefully ushering her back down.

"Raven stop! You can't move. The paramedics said it's better if you don't. We don't know what damage has been done to your body, and moving could make things worse." Raven just coughs and groans, and tightens her grip on Lexa's hand.

Lexa tries to be strong and stay calm, but seeing Raven like this is too much.

"God, Raven, I was so stupid! I thought you were just running late because you had overslept or your phone had died. All this time I've just been sitting in my dorm room, scrolling through tumblr and you've been out here bleeding and hurt." She feels tears streaming down her face, and she knows she should be strong for Raven, but at this point, she can't stop. "I don't understand how this happened." She says, taking a shaky breath. "How did this happen Raven? Who would do something like this to you?" She wonders out loud, barely able to speak through her tears.

Raven is wheezing now, trying to speak.

"No, don't try to speak. Save your strength." She says, but Raven doesn't listen.

"Brett." She manages to rasp out before going into another coughing fit.

It takes Lexa a minute to figure out what Raven is saying, but when she does it finally clicks. Brett. The party. His threats. And suddenly everything that's been happening to Raven over the past several weeks finally makes sense.

Brett has been the one harassing Raven.

He's the one who vandalized her car and did this to her. Lexa knew the guy was sick after their exchange at the party, but she never imagined he would do something like this. Surely even he wouldn't be stupid enough to actually beat a woman and leave her for dead on campus. But then she thinks back to the party, thinks about the hate in his eyes and the way his friends had to hold him back, and how he threatened them on their way out. "You messed with the wrong guy! ... You'll pay for this!" How did she not put this together sooner? Why wouldn't Raven have told her? Maybe if she had known she could have done something to prevent this.

She's brought back to the present moment when Raven grips her hand tightly as she gasps and coughs. Lexa looks on in horror, as blood starts trickling out of the side of Raven's mouth before her eyes flutter closed and she falls unconscious.

—

When the ambulance finally arrives and they load Raven onto a stretcher, Lexa refuses to leave her side. She demands to ride in the ambulance with her, and the paramedics reluctantly agree. She's sitting on the cold metal bench inside the moving vehicle. Holding Raven's hand as the paramedics try to work around her, careful to move when they tell her to.

They hook Raven up to machines, and start her on an IV and Lexa has to hold back the bile in the back of her throat when they cut open Raven's shirt and she sees all the bruises and scrapes littered across her skin. The whole thing is so sickening and surreal that she feels like they're in an episode of Grey's Anatomy or something. But this is real life, and when Lexa woke up that morning, she had no idea it would be leading to something like this.

Raven starts to come to, and panics.

She's thrashing around and groaning and screaming out in pain. She grips Lexa's hand painfully tight, and Lexa tries to tell her to calm down, but the paramedics are talking loudly, the machines won't stop beeping and the piercing sound of the siren drowns out her voice. Thankfully they give Raven something that seems to calm her down, not quite putting her to sleep. Lexa squeezes her hand and Raven finally looks at her. Lexa has to swallow the emotion in the back of her throat at the fear she sees in her eyes and the bruises she sees on her face and she tells Raven as steadily as she can, "Everything's going to be okay."

When they finally pull into the hospital, they're met by a team of doctors and nurses, and it feels like chaos. They're all talking over each other, loudly exchanging information, and that damn siren is so loud that Lexa wonders how any of them can hear a thing. One of the nurses helps Lexa get down from the ambulance before they start lowering Raven's stretcher down onto a metal gurney and wheeling her away.

Lexa panics.

"Hey! Where the hell are you taking her?" She tries to follow, but one of the nurses pulls her back.

"Ma'am, you can't go with her. They're taking her into surgery. Please, if you'll just follow me inside we need to get some information from you so we can help your friend." That last part calms Lexa down, because Raven is her friend and if there's anything she can do to help her, she will.

She follows the nurse inside, and the nurse starts to question her.

They already have Raven's ID from her wallet so they're able to get some basic information from that. They ask Lexa if she knows a way to contact Raven's next of kin, and Lexa feels sick to her stomach. She doesn't know anything about Raven's family or who to call if there's an emergency and she vows to herself that if Raven makes it out of this alive, she'll force her to give her the information whether she wants to or not.

She offers to call Octavia since she's one of Raven's longtime friends, hoping she'll have a better idea of who to call. When Octavia picks up and Lexa quickly explains the situation to her before telling her what hospital they're at—Octavia remains surprisingly levelheaded and calm.

"Raven doesn't have any close family," Octavia says. "Her father's never been in the picture and her mother, well let's just say she's not someone Raven can call up when she needs help. The best person to contact is her mentor slash faux father Sinclair who basically raised her. I'll text you his information and number now." She says before hanging up. Lexa doesn't even have time to process all the information she just learned about Raven's family history and background, knowing she'll want to revisit the topic later.

Her phone vibrates. The contact information reads "Jack Sinclair", followed by another text informing her if she can't get anyone at that number then to call a different number. Quickly followed by the contact information for "Becca Sinclair".

The nurse gets the information they need and relays it to one of her coworkers, and continues questioning Lexa for more information. She asks her about the events of that night. If she knows how long Raven was unconscious? How long she was laying out there alone? If she knows what types of injuries she sustained? Lexa tries to answer the questions as best as she can. Struggling painfully through the answers and trying not to imagine how pained, afraid, and alone Raven must have felt while Lexa was sitting comfortably in her room.

At a certain point the police show up, wanting to question her about the attack. It's something Lexa feels prepared to do, knowing the relevant facts and information they'll need.

Lexa relays the events and times as carefully as she can.

She shows them her phone log and the calls that she made. Next are the texts that she and Raven exchanged, as well as the ones she exchanged with Octavia where she mentioned getting in touch with Raven's roommate. She knows all of these details will help the police start piecing together a timeline for the night's events. She gives them Brett's name, explaining how Raven identified him before passing out. She recounts the events of the party from three weeks ago, giving them the name and address of the fraternity, the names of some of Brett's friends and anyone else that she can remember being there that night. She tells them about Raven's car being vandalized, making sure to give them the date and location and showing them the pictures of the damage. She emails the photos to the police department and then the officers give her their card and number, telling her to call them if there's anything else she remembers. Lexa agrees before thanking them, and when the whole thing is finally over, she's exhausted.

The nurses asks her if she's okay and she tells them she's fine, not even able to think about her own needs when Raven is in such a terrible state. They give her a run down of Raven's injuries: broken ribs, a punctured lung (hence the need for surgery and coughing up blood), bruises, cuts and abrasions, and possible head trauma. They won't know anything more until she wakes up once she's out of surgery.

They give Lexa some juice and crackers to help with her shock before ushering her into the waiting room and telling her they'll keep her updated on Raven's status. It's all so overwhelming and Lexa is grateful when Octavia, Anya, and Clarke all come to the ER to keep her company while they wait for Raven to get out of surgery.

When Raven is finally stable and in her own room, Clarke convinces one of the nurses she knows from her internship to allow all of them to wait in Raven's room with her, and thankfully the nurse agrees.

Lexa sits by Raven's bed, holding her hand and staring at her face, willing her to wake up. Despite how battered and bruised her face is, Lexa can't help but think about how beautiful she is. Now that Raven is laying so still and unconscious it gives Lexa the chance to really take her in—her long dark lashes and perfectly arched eyebrows, the flawless bone structure of her cheeks and nose, her full lips, and the sharp curve of her jaw. They all come together to create such a stunning picture that leaves Lexa feeling a little breathless and emotional. She hates the way Raven's beauty is marred by the bruises and ugly cuts that cover her face, and she takes a deep breath, trying to get rid of the sick feeling in her stomach.

She focuses on the way that their hands are joined together, gently stroking the palm of Raven's hand with her thumb. She traces over the jagged white scar that's large and runs across the middle of her palm, wondering where it came from. The scar is raised and the skin is lightly calloused, signaling to Lexa that it's fairly old. She wonders when Raven got it and how she got it. If someone gave it to her or if it resulted from an accident.

She knows Raven has hinted at being in fights or altercations in the past that led to what Lexa guesses were fairly serious injuries, considering how much she downplayed her injury the night of the party. But Raven never opened up to her about what those past experiences were, and honestly, Lexa is kind of afraid to ask. She knows from what little Octavia shared with her on the phone and what little Raven has shared with her in passing conversation that Raven's childhood was rough and possibly abusive. She doesn't know if Raven got the scar from fixing cars or fighting off fists, but she figures if Raven wanted her to know she would have told her. And honestly, Lexa doesn't feel like it's really her place to ask, especially if the answer is the latter.

She's brought back to the present moment when she feels Raven's hand twitch right before she lets out a strangle groan. Lexa looks down at their joined hands then back up to Raven's face and when brown eyes meet green Lexa finally feels like everything really is going to be okay.


End file.
